Keith Haring’s father was an amateur cartoon artist, this set the foundation for Haring’s love for art. Haring attended The Ivy School of Professional Art (Pittsburgh) and the School of Visual Arts in New York.

  Keith Haring realized that there were blank chalk boards in the subways of New york City and decided to start drawing on them making the statement that he was there. Drawing on these boards without permission was of course considered graffiti resulting in many of Haring’s arrest. Even though his messages were often positive they were still unappreciated until Haring gained more recognition for his work eventually leading to a successful art career.

  When more people started to acknowledge Haring’s subway drawings he quickly rose to fame. Haring eventually became close friends with celebrities and artist such as Madonna, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol. Warhol basically took Haring under his wing with the pop art scene leading to pieces such as the Absolut Vodka ad.

  Haring opened a store called the “Pop Shop” which sold merchandise with prints of Haring’s work on it. In the documentary it is explained that critics are the gatekeepers of the art world, they decide what is in, what is great, and what is  acceptable. Critics claimed that Haring was selling out by creating the Pop Shop when in reality the store was a part of his work. The way his customers and fans interacted with the art and merchandise is what unified the store and his portfolio.

  One of the first drawings that appeared on the chalkboards was the “Radiant Baby” this became the postmark that distinguished his work throughout the subway. Haring’s art work shed light on different movements prevalent in the 80’s such as Apartheid in South Africa, the crack cocaine epidemic, and the AIDS epidemic.

  Haring was invited to Checkpoint Charlie to do an art piece on the Berlin wall that later contributed to the breakthrough of his art career. Haring also painted art pieces pertaining to the apartheid in South Africa that was active from 1948 to 1994. He felt it was his duty as an artist with such an influence to speak out about events like this even if it were happening in another part of the world.

  Whilst shedding light on global issues Haring was also involved heavily in his community. He did several projects involving children, one involving children painting a dedication mural to the Statue of Liberty. Haring sometimes got too involved resulting in legal issues, for example his Crack is Wack piece was done on without permission. Haring felt so strong about the crack epidemic that was happening United States at the time that he risked an excessive fine and jail time to get his point across. Fortunately the piece received tremendous feedback from the community, saving him from both consequences.

Keith Haring was openly gay and explored sexuality throughout his artwork. In the documentary he states that sexuality is apart of his artwork because it is a part of his life. Unfortunately Haring died of AIDS related complications but towards the end of his life he devoted more time to spreading awareness of his illness and what people could do to prevent it.